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μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα answers πρῶτα μέν in c. 32. One could hardly discover from this passage that Xerxes spent the whole winter 481-80 B.C. in Sardes, much less restore the various transactions of the time: cp. Appendix II. § 3. οἳ δὲ ἐν τούτῳ: sc. χρόνῳ (cp. ἐν ᾧ c. 26), taking us back to c. 25 and the preparation of the cables for the bridges, covers presumably the whole time from the muster at Kritalla (or earlier) down to Xerxes' arrival at Sardes (or a little later). οἳ δέ may refer to Φοίνιξί τε καὶ Αἰγυπτίοισι c. 25, or antieipates τοῖσι προσἑκειτο c. 34, from which, perhaps, it was not originally separated.
τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον: here used in the narrower sense, as distinguished from Propontis and Bosporos; cp. 4. 85, 5. 122; Aeschyl. Pers. 875; W. Sieglin, Festschrift für H. Kiepert, 1898, pp. 323 ff.
ἔστι δὲ τῆς Χερσονήσου . . Ἀβύδῳ καταντίον: Sestos was as nearly as possible due north of Abydos, across the straits, the Asiatic coast at this point forming a salient right angle (pointing NW.), and the European a retiring angle very nearly on parallel lines. Madytos (now Maito) is on the European side about due W. of Abydos, and eonsequently SW. of Sestos. (Madytos appears on the Athenian Lists as paying 500 Dr. tribute previous to 438 B.C.; thereafter, 2000.) The distance between Sestos and Madytos may be about 5 R. miles. The mention of Madytos here at all favours the view that the heads of the bridges did not debouch immediately upon Sestos, and this again favours Stein's emendation πλατέα. Cp. Appendix II. § 4.
ἀκτή, as Grote iv. 121 n. remarks, means here not ‘promontory’ but stretch of coast; cp. Verg Aen. 5. 613.
Ἀβύδῳ καταντίον: the genitive would be more in accordance with usage; but cp. 2. 34. μετὰ ταῦτα is decidedly vague. The incident referred to took place in the winter 479-8 B.C. (χρόνῳ ὕστερον οὐ πολλῷ) and is recounted 9. 116-20, in a doublette of this passage, without cross reference, which makes this passage read like a gloss, or an oversight. But see below.
ἐπί with genitive, ‘in the time of,’ common; but here perhaps ‘in the command of,’ or, under the command of Xanthippos. Ἀθηναῖοι, Stein's emendation, which supplies, what is otherwise to seek, a subject for the verb, refers not to the ‘state’ (πόλις) but merely to the men serving on the spot.
Ἀρταύ<*>κτην: his patronymic is supplied c. 78 infra, and these three separate and unconnected references to one notorious Persian are significant of Hdt.'s method of composition and relation to his sources; cp. Introduction, § 10.
Σηστοῦ ὕπαρχον: was he a satrap (in Thrace), or merely a fortress commandant? (cp. supra). διεπασσάλευσαν: they ‘spreadeagled and crucified him.’ The story of this barbarous vengeance made a deep impression upon Hdt. (and his sources) or he would hardly have introduced it here, simply à propos of the topography. Possibly this topographical note was introduced after his own visit to the Hellespont, and did not belong to the first draft of Bk. 7. Cp. Introduction, § 9. ὅς, ‘for he.’ καί, ‘even.’ On Elaiûs, c. 22 supra; Protesilaos, 9. 116. ἔρδεσκε has here the iterative force. (The profanity of Artayktes recalls that of Eli's sons, 1 Sam. 2. 22.)
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